Wood-based doors may be solid wood, or may be made as a wood composite. Composite wood doors may be covered with a wood-containing water-resistant layer known as a molded skin or a door skin. Wood-based door skins may be formulated as wood composites that are molded as thin layers and then adhesively secured to the underlying door frame to provide a water-resistant outer surface. Generally, door skins are made by mixing wood fiber, a resin binder and optionally, a wax, and then pressing the mixture under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure to form a thin-layer wood composite which is then adhered to the underlying door frame.
As the demand for composite doors increases, there is an increasing need to streamline all facets of the manufacturing process. In addition, due to ever increasing environmental concerns, there is a need to reduce waste in the production process and to minimize the amount of raw materials used. Balanced against these concerns is the need to maintain product quality. For example, door skins of reduced cost may be produced by lowering the percentage of resin or wood used per door skin, but this can lead to a reduction in quality. Thus, there is a need to provide methods to optimize production of composite doors and door skins used in such doors.